The Dark Ages
by JakuraAngel
Summary: For hundreds of years, peace was spread all over the Five Nations, but that is until the Dark Lord decided to organize an attack against the Elves. Another war is soon rising and it is causing havoc along with destruction on its way. SasuSaku. Fantasy/Middle Ages.
1. Prologue

**The Dark Ages**

 _ **Prologue**_

* * *

Fingers and face numb from the beating rain, she squeezed the reins even harder and told herself not to let go. The hooves of the horse paddled the ground with such force and speed that it was really a wonder the ground didn't break under the force.

Both the rider and the horse were on their limits. The over four-hour journey was taking its toll and it was starting to show. The horse was panting as if ready to collapse from exhaustion and the rides pressed even closer to the horse's warm body.

It was the only thing consoling the rider at that moment as the heavy rain mercilessly fell over the both of them. But neither could stop. They had passed a village an hour ago, but stopping was not an option. The chase was not something one would purposely get themselves into and if one was to ask at this moment, the rider would choose anything except being the prey for the predators.

They needed to get to Fire Country and its capital Konohagakure as soon as possible.

The uneven ground sloped slightly causing the galloping horse to take a small miss step before returning to its normal gallop. The rider would have shriek from the panic if it wasn't for the sore throat.

The weather seemed to only get worse and worse by every second, and it was starting to be a struggle to stay on the horse and not fall down.

Like on every hardship giving up easily crosses one's mind and this was no exception. Giving up would make things much easier and maybe even less painful, but when there were bigger things in line, you couldn't just consider yourself. Other people's lives were in line and not just this one life life that was doing their best to make it to safety. They were the only beings able to get help.

Others needed to come before you especially when you were in a high position such as the rider.

"Catch her!" A rough voice yelled and the sound of many pair of hooves came even closer.

Heart beating so erratically it felt like her chest was about to explode, she gave a tiny tap with her legs to the horse's side to tell him to go even faster. It was very unlikely to get the horse to go even faster but it might have been the adrenaline or the up-coming exhaustion that made the horse gallop even more.

As the trees passing by and foliage started to become even more blurry the rider could only hope she was close. They were at their limit and it was only a matter of time before the rider or the horse was to collapse. Four hours going at a high speed by pushing the horse to its limit was not good at all for the horse's health and she couldn't help by feel even more bad for the whole situation.

The very faint sound of something whipping in the air was the only other sound she could hear under the loud bashing of wind, and it was followed by a loud wail of a horse. She dared a peek over her shoulder as she squeezed the reins even tighter, to see a horse falling face first into the ground with a big man following right after.

A loud grunt and maybe even a crack made her turn back forward and to see the forest thinning out. Biting her chapped lips and hoping even more that she was close, her horse ran through the rest of the trees and into an opening. It was like being blinded by the bright light of the sun. She was there! She couldn't help but be stunned that they actually made it.

For a moment, she felt struck by the sight of a massive castle towering on a mountain of sorts. It was an odd sight for her since she wasn't used to this type of architecture.

Not focusing properly on anything except the foreign sight of her, the thing that finally snapped her out of her awe and fear of the unknown was a piercing pain on her shoulder. An electric shock ran through her left arm and she felt her hold on the rein loosen.

Collapsing even closer to the horse she leaned her weight on top of it as she bit down on her lip even harder.

It couldn't end now. They were so close! It was just there, it was only a matter of seconds before they reached the open gates and passed through the them. At that point someone should be able to help.

She couldn't be this close and then fail at the last minute.

The Fate must be mocking her. There was no other way for her and her people to be this unfortunate. They couldn't just perish like this without a trace. She couldn't let that happen, but she wasn't the Fate.

She didn't have the strings of fate that she could pull at her will. She wasn't someone who could change the outcome of things.

Her father used to say that no one controlled the Fate except itself. No one could deceive it and no one could even try to take control of it. It was out of our hands. It made its own decisions and if it decided that someone should die than it should be that way.

In the end, she couldn't and shouldn't even be mad. If this is what Fate wanted for her then so be it. She would gladly except the fate given to her and cherish it on The Other Side. She wasn't going to be mad. She was going to congratulate herself for getting this far, for being this strong and not giving up even though she could have at any minute. She congratulated the horse. It wasn't a strong war horse like soldiers have, but it did a such a graceful job and nothing more could be expected from him.

That is when she couldn't hold the exhaustion at bay and all she could see was black.

* * *

 _This is finally the new story! I really wish to have something much lighter and not to complicated to write along side Fated Encounter. That is a hard story to write because of having the Naruto storyline going along side with it._

 _Leave me your thoughts by reviewing! I really want to know what you guys expect from this story and think of this so far._

 _This is going to be middle ages/fantasy/romance type of story with SasuSaku as the main couple._

 _\- Jakura_


	2. Chapter 1

**The Dark Ages**

 ** _Chapter 1_**

* * *

Maids were walking around the hallways holding trays and cutlery, as the prince walked past them. Even if it was later in the morning in the morning and almost noon, the castle was busy with servants going around and few nobles hurrying towards their designated places.

"You're late, Your Highness." An older voice called from across the hallway.

"Not more then you are, General." Another voice called back walking briskly in the same direction.

As the younger man reaches the end of the hall and they start walking together towards the dining hall, the older man chuckles, "The Queen must be furious for us being this late."

"She'll manage."

It was the time for the Royal Breakfast just like every Sunday. It was the queen's tradition that she wanted to uphold as much as she could. The breakfast was meant to bring everyone together at least once a week. Of course, dinner also required everyone's presence, but it was much more private than this.

The Royal Brunch was meant for higher officers and nobles came together to enjoy good food and converse. The Royal Family joined the Brunch every single time since it was the Queen's idea to arrange such an event. Queen Mikoto was known for her loyal and loving personality. She cherished nothing more than good relationships to everyone in their kingdom.

It was truly something that helped all the nobles to stay in good terms with their rulers, since it also gave time for the king and queen to get to know everyone. Although, normally politics were a subject to be avoided during this brunch, it was almost inevitable topic.

The double doors were opened by two armor wielding guards, to reveal the giant dining hall within. It was bustling with life and light conversation as the two men walked inside. No one stopped to watch them enter, and instead focused on their dishes.

The younger man caught his mother's eyes from across the room, and the look of disapproval was all over her face. The small frown and a glare sent in their direction caught few other's attention. But this was nothing new.

"What is so important that once again you are late for the brunch, my son?" Came her feminine voice.

"The troops need to be trained, mother." He replied calmly and took a seat to his older brother's right.

"At a time like this? It has never been this peaceful ever, and you still think of training out knights." The queen shook her head.

This time the answer didn't come from the prince, but from the king sitting at the end of the table to his queen's right, "My love, you never know when the enemy decides to show its face. You never know if they decided to attack today, tomorrow or next week. Sasuke is only doing what is best for our kingdom."

"All the kingdoms are at peace with each other. There's no chance of another war breaking out." She explained back with determination. Queen Mikoto was a sight to behold. With her long midnight dark hair and chocolate brown eyes, she looked stunning. Pale, heart shaped face and pink lips with not many wrinkles, she was very young looking for a woman in almost her fifties.

Adding to her outer appearance was her intelligence. She knew much about politics and how things were handled in their kingdom.

She gave a stern look to everyone at the table that where now watching the exchange, "From now on, no one comes late for my brunches or they will be scrubbing the basement floors for a year."

"Yes, Your Highness." Everyone except the queen's children and husband chorused.

Laughing voice raised over the small chatter that had started after the queen's command, "Fugaku, if I didn't know better, I would think that the queen is the king." Everyone around the table started to laugh at that.

"Duke Minato, I wouldn't be joking about that if I were you." The king's face was passive as ever, but going by the smirk from the blond he took it everything but as a negative comment. Everyone in the court knew of Minato's fiery red-haired wife, and Duchess, Kushina. She was as elegant as ever, but also known for not having tolerance for idiotic behavior or anything annoying.

Kushina was laughing at Minato's side.

Mikoto looked rather smugly at her husband before grinning at her two boys. Sasuke shook his head slightly. His mother could be too over the top sometimes.

Suddenly the king cleared his throat and everyone's attention was back at him. He glanced at his oldest son, "I would actually like to announce something right now concerning my eldest son, Itachi."

All the cutlery was carefully placed on the plates as everyone waited. Sasuke was as intrigued as everybody, since he had no idea what was going on. Being the general of their army sometimes took him away from important political meetings. His brother, Itachi, however being the next on the line for the throne had to attend almost every meeting, sometimes knew things that Sasuke didn't.

But with the passive look on Itachi's face, Sasuke had a very bad feeling about this.

"We have come to the agreement with the king of the Land of Wind that prince Itachi and the king's sister, princess Temari, should marry. The plans for the announcement ball has been started and we should expect everything to be ready in two weeks." At first the dining room sat in shocked silence until people started clapping and cheering.

This news was a long time coming and people had been waiting for the prince's engagement announcement for years now.

Itachi gave a small smile as he continued to cut his pie with a fork ignoring the whole event going around him.

Mikoto reached her arm across the table to held onto Itachi's hand.

"I'm so happy for you, my dear. Temari is a fine woman with intelligence not many possess."

"Thank you, mother."

Champagne was brought out and they toasted. Rest of the brunch was full of bubbly laughter and conversations, with Sasuke trying not to act too suspicious. There was something wrong with Itachi, but he just couldn't confront his older brother right now. It had to wait at least until the small gathering had ended.

Unfortunately, Sasuke knew well what his brother was like. He didn't share his burdens easily and opted to keep quiet as long as it didn't hurt anyone else.

* * *

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder at his best friend since childhood. The bright blond hair similar to Uzumaki Minato, the Duke, was known by everyone in their kingdom. The furrowed brows were indicating that something was on his mind. Not to forget that during the brunch Naruto was oddly quiet.

Blue cerulean eyes soon caught the dark brooding stare and a bright blond brow was raised.

"Something wrong, teme?" Raspy voice of Uzumaki Naruto asked with a tint of humor, "Trying to assess your competition?"

"As if _you_ are match to him." Came a laughing voice of Inuzuka Kiba, a son of the late Duke Arion. Now being the eldest and only son of his household, he held the title of Duke, by birth right.

"Shut up, Kiba!" Naruto growled back with a glare. "I will beat him any day!"

"We will be seeing that in few hours, don't we? The one who catches the biggest prey wins." Kiba challenged and mounted his horse.

Sasuke strapped his sword on to the saddle, securing it tightly and testing the latch.

"Sasuke! I'll beat your ass tonight!" Naruto hollered loudly and pointed at the prince. The worried that had bothered him were obviously long forgotten as he mounted his horse at the same time with Sasuke.

The familiar grin was on his face showing off his white line of teeth.

"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched." Sasuke replied back and tugged at the reigns commanding his horse forward.

"You'll see, bastard! I swear on my own-"

"Don't make promises that are plain stupid." Sasuke retorted instantly.

Running footsteps echoed towards the front gates of the castle catching all of the three men's attention. A middle-aged man ran towards them with horrified expression. He didn't bother with bowing or anything, he just pointed towards the outer wall of their large village.

"A-a woman!" He was panting so hard that his face was red and he was having hard time speaking, "I-in da-danger!"

"Where?" Naruto lead his horse closer to the man.

"Outside the walls!" The man suddenly yelled and once again pointed at the direction.

Neither of the three men needed any other directions as they galloped towards the pointed direction. The group of servants and a stable boy were left alone with two pouches of food for the men. They stared at each other confused before the man now leaning against his knees snapped, "Get some medical help!"

They hurried back inside the castle walls starting to look for the Royal Healer.

The trip from the center of the village to the outer walls was quick with their horses. People jumped out of the way especially as they neared the front market that was bustling with people. Many had gathered around the gates to see outside as a group of men dressed in black cloaks ran in circles near the walls.

Sasuke moved his horse to the fore-front of their group, yelling at the peasants to move. Men, women and children quickly dodged the massive black animal coming their way, but few people couldn't move away quickly and luckily were only roughly pushed to the side. Older men and women were pulled away by their loved ones and for a moment Sasuke wished none of them got badly hurt.

In seconds, they were past the group of people and directly heading towards the huddled figure being surround the by men with weapons. The men yelled in a foreign language and one pointed an arrow towards the figure. Naruto suddenly yelled, "Assholes!"

The man wielding the bow and arrow was startled just like the rest of his group as they took in the trio riding fast towards them.

Sasuke had already pulled his sword from the strap along with Kiba and Naruto as they attacked towards the men. No one else was allowed to hurt anyone on the Land of Fire if they weren't part of the Royal Trial Committee. Accused were supposed to have a fair trial before any sentence was given to them.

One of them men yelled something that sounded like a profanity, before the word was followed by a command. With their hoods' still on their heads, the group turned around quickly on their horses and headed towards the forest.

"You bastards!" Naruto yelled again and was ready to ride after them.

"Naruto, no!" Sasuke quickly commanded which caused Naruto to pull on his reigns. His horse quickly stopped causing grooves to form on the soft grass ground. At that point, Sasuke had already leaped from his horse and was running towards the huddled figure.

While running towards the small figure, his eyes took in the wet spot on the back of the cloak and an arrow end pointing directly upwards. Swiftly but still gently he grabbed the figure by its shoulders and turned them to the side.

Instantly he was met with a pale face, brightly colored hair and markings on a face.

"Who is it?" Kiba's worried voice asked as he was still mounted on his horse moving in a circle around his prince.

"An elf."

"What?" Naruto joined them.

"She's an elf." Sasuke said levelly looking up at the men, "She needs help _now_."

* * *

 _This is a short one because of my busy week. Next update will take another week._

 _Thanks for reviewers:_

IheartSasuSakuIta

anonymousfetishes

Harijime

Elf-Cast

 _Also huge thank you for everyone who favorited and followed this story. It's nice to see some new people come and follow my stories._

 _\- Jakura_


	3. Chapter 2

**The Dark Ages**

 ** _Chapter 2_**

* * *

"I've send five assassins to scout the area. And I have all my men waiting for a command at any given moment." Sasuke explained to his father who was nodding approvingly.

"Good. We need to be ready if anything unexpected happens. Did you sent anyone to go to the Archyl?" Fugaku asked with a lowered gaze as he took in the map in front of him.

"Yes, father. I send Yamanaka Sai there. He should be returning in few days to tell everything he knows."

"Duke Nara, I want you to help my son to create new protective plans for out village. I don't want anyone to get hurt if the enemy decides to attack us." Fugaku continued with a stern voice as he glanced at the dark-haired man on the other side of the table.

Shikaku Nara was known for his superior intelligence when it came to planning. He was the king's right-hand-man with knowledge not many people possessed.

"Of course, My Lord." The scar face man replied with a nod of his head. "But we've already discussed it with the prince and have come up with new plans for the guards patrolling the walls. All we need is to come up with a better safety plan if and when the attack happens."

Fugaku's eyes flashed to his son, "You've been busy, I see."

"I don't want to risk an attack against our people." Sasuke answered.

"All in all, it's very unusual for someone to attack the elves. They are a peaceful group of creatures. They adore their deities and gods, protect nature and what not." Shikaku explained. "They would be the last one's I would plan an attacking against. They don't even have many trained soldiers among them. However-"

"Their healing abilities." Fugaku ended Shikaku's words.

"Who wouldn't want that for themselves?" Shikaku added with a pointed look.

"Elves are invaluable. They guard their villages well with spells and wards." Minato joined in as he stepped into the room with a bunch of other men following him.

"Spells and wards?" Kiba laughed from behind Minato as he easily strolled across the floor and found his place behind Sasuke. "You make those nature-lovers sound magical."

"They are." Shikaku laughed back, "And it would be foolish to not take that seriously."

"No one has seen an elf on these lands in decades, maybe even in centuries. If a place is so well guarded with wards and spells than how did someone attack it? And everyone here knows that elves don't systematically train warriors." Kiba explained as if he knew everything.

"I think the best plan of action is not to do any hasty decisions. We don't know the full story until the girl wakes up and tells us what she knows. Who knows, maybe she was riding outside their lands and was caught in a bad situation." Shikaku said and looked over at his king, "Just like we planned on doing."

"What did you plan on doing?" Minato asked while sitting down on his seat.

"I've send a group of men scouting our lands and looking for those men. Also Yamanaka Sai is heading towards Archyl to see what's going on there." Sasuke explained again.

"How do you know it's Archyl?" A chubby man asked while leaning against his chair. Lord Akimichi Chōza was a big man. He had the ability to fight men on combat battles, but often his weight hindered him.

"Maybe the girl is from Nichral." Chōza offered with a huff.

"Archyl is much closer to us and it's only logical for us to go there first." Fugaku said back with a stern voice.

"Nichral, Archyl, Corchyl~" Chōza sang with humor, "whatever it is. Why are we even concerning ourselves with the elves? We haven't been in any kind of contact with them in years. I think we should just throw the girl to those people, who want her and that would be fine. I'm sure us keeping her here causes us a lot more trouble than it's worth."

"Chōza you're talking about a human being." Shikaku scolded his friend.

"It's not a human. It's an elf." Chōza said back.

Sasuke rubbed his temple in frustration. The bickering continued among the table with some being against helping the girl and others wanting to help her.

"Quiet!" Fugaku's low tone echoed in the room. "We've already began actions against the people who were after the girl, and I won't be going back on them. Our spy, Sai, is almost at Archyl and pulling him back would be ridiculous."

"My lord," Chōza started, "this is bullshit! We're setting our own people in danger by doing this!"

"Lord Chōza, are you doubting your king's actions?" Fugaku asked with a raised brow.

The burly man swallowed hard under the intense glare of the king.

"O-of course not, your highness."

"Good." Fugaku turned his attention back to his youngest son, "I want you to be in-charge of this situation and report to me directly."

"Yes, father." Sasuke lowered his head.

Then the king's eyes scanned the room and his brows furrowed, "Where's Prince Itachi? Has anyone seen him?"

Men around the room shook their head. A brown-haired man with a tobacco between his lips stepped forward from behind the group of men still standing, "I saw His Highness heading towards the library a while ago."

The king nodded in response with now a passive face, "You're all dismissed." he waved his hand and everyone got up and bowed.

Fugaku's eyes landed on his youngest son, who didn't miss the look and remained seated in his chair. A loud clatter echoed in the hallways as the large group of men left the room.

"Sasuke, is there something wrong with Itachi?" He didn't waste any time asking the question.

"What do you mean?" This topic was very much unfamiliar to the prince. Itachi was the crown jewel of the Uchiha family since he was the heir to the throne.

"He's been missing last few meetings. It's not like him to act this way."

"I haven't had the time to talk to him lately." Sasuke answered truthfully. Being busy with training his men and planning new strategies has taken most of his time. Since returning from his travels with his teacher and mentor Hatake Kakashi, Sasuke hasn't had any time for his older brother.

"Of course," Fugaku nodded in understanding, "you only just returned few months ago." He grabbed a stack of papers and stacked them neatly in front of him.

"How have you been settling in then?" This question completely caught Sasuke off guard. Ever since he came back Fugaku hasn't shown any interest to what had happened during those few years traveling around the world. He acted as if Sasuke had never left and even if he was appointed as the new general, it did nothing to cause any kind of interest in Fugaku's eyes. This was a whole new thing for Sasuke.

"Fine. Nothing's changed much."

Fugaku only nodded and go up himself. Sasuke followed him up quickly before bowing and taking his leave from the room.

* * *

Sasuke made his way down the hallways and towards the sleeping quarters of the palace. The healer of their village, Senju Tsunade, thought it to be a better idea to take the elf there instead of leaving her to the infirmary. Since no elves resided in these areas, she was bound to attract attention to her if left in places where many people spend their times at.

Madam Tsunade's assistant, Miss Shizune was standing outside the door with papers in front of her as she wrote down something.

"Miss Shizune?" Sasuke caught her attention.

The petite brunette whipped around and at the same time curtsied.

"Your highness, what are you doing here?" She asked politely and held the papers against her chest.

"I came to check on the girl. Has she woken up yet?"

"No, not yet. And actually~" Shizune bit down on her lip, "we don't think she's just a girl."

"Wh-" Sasuke started but was cut off by a yell.

"Sasuke!" Naruto's voice traveled across the halls followed by his loud footsteps. "There you are! I was looking for you!"

Just then Naruto took notice of Shizune standing few feet away from them and he gave a small bow.

"Evening." He muttered awkwardly. Naruto wasn't the type of person to use respect other people by the book.

"Lord Naruto, it's been a while. You haven't been around the infirmary much lately." Shizune joked easily making Naruto blush sheepishly.

"That's because I've gotten a lot better at sparring!" He explained enthusiastically. "I just kicked Kiba's ass two days ago!"

"Naruto." Sasuke said with annoyance.

"Oh! Sorry!" Naruto scratched the back of his head, "Sorry for cussing, Miss Shizune."

"It's okay, Naruto. I've already gotten used to it."

Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes. Naruto could be so obnoxious that it was to whole another level.

"The girl?" Sasuke finally said wanting to continue their original conversation.

"Yes, of course!" Shizune's face lit up, "We don't think she's just an elf. Madam Tsunade has spent few years among the elves studying their medicine and healing abilities during her time at Nichral. The markings she has indicate she's of a noble bloodline."

"Madam Tsunade knows how to read Archen?" Naruto blurted out.

"Technically yes, but still no. She knows what kind of markings separate the noble and the common people among them. It's difficult to detect and learning Archen language is not something taught to foreigners. The elves rather keep their own language and ways of communicating to themselves, but after spending so much time among the elves, madam Tsunade picked a thing or two."

"Well this is new information." Came the familiar voice of the Crown Prince Itachi.

He was walking down the hallways lazily and stopped next to the group.

"Father was expecting you at the meeting." Sasuke said aloud right away.

Something flashed in Itachi's eyes until he looked at Sasuke, "I know, but unfortunately something unexpected came up."

Sasuke lifted his brow in question.

"It's not something for you to worry about." Itachi said instantly and placed his hand over Sasuke's shoulder in a calming manner.

Shizune had curtsied again and Itachi gave her a soft smile, "Miss Shizune, busy as always."

"Unfortunately, yes Your Highness."

"I find it quite intriguing that our very own healer has spent her younger years among the fair folk." Itachi commented with humor. "Although, what else would one expect from a woman such as Senju Tsunade."

Shizune smiled soft. She adored the Madam so much and tries to learn as much as she could. Tsunade was getting older, and they wouldn't be having her around for much longer. However, for a woman nearly in her sixties, she looked absolutely gorgeous for her age.

"Madam isn't entirely sure if the elf is from a noble family, but I'm sure we're going to be confirmed as she wakes up." Shizune explained to the men around her.

"This is certainly an interesting turn." Itachi commented.

"But also a dangerous one." Sasuke replied and received nods of agreement.

The door behind Shizune was pushed open revealing blond woman peeking from behind it.

"Shizune?" Tsunade's raspy voice called.

"Yes, Madam?"

"The girl is waking up! Bring something to drink!" The door was pulled closed even without a proper look of the healer.

"Doesn't she know that there are maids for that kind of jobs?" Naruto questioned with a tilt of his head.

"Apparently not." Shizune grumbled and with another curtsey she walked away from the men.

"I'll take my leave then too." Itachi sighed and with another to his brother and Naruto he left in to other direction.

Naruto and Sasuke stared at Itachi's retreating back until it disappeared behind a corner.

"Is it just me or does he look tired?" Naruto suddenly blurted and looked over at Sasuke.

Sasuke shook his head in agreement.

"I don't know what's going on with him, but according to father Itachi hasn't attended the last couple meetings they've been having." Sasuke said and crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's not like Itachi to skips those things." Naruto murmured. "Have you tried talking to him?"

Sasuke shook his head, "No."

"He's your brother."

"But that doesn't mean we tell each other everything." Sasuke snapped and went for the door separating him from Tsunade and the elf.

Naruto muttered something behind Sasuke as he knocked on the door gently. He didn't wait for any invite and instead walked right in Naruto following close by. Tsunade's figure appeared from behind the arch separating the room's lounge from the sleeping quarters. The sheer curtains were drawn close which was unusual, but Sasuke figured Tsunade wanted to preserve as much privacy as possible.

"Where's Shizune?" Her annoyed voice asked from the two men. She stood with hands on her hips glaring.

"Fetching the water." Naruto laughed and flopped down on one of the lounges in the room.

"You," she pointed both of them, "shouldn't be here."

"Has she said anything?" Sasuke decided to completely ignore the woman's scolding.

Tsunade's eyes squinted at his tone and way of ignoring her, "She just woke up. It's not like she's going to babble everything the moment she wakes up."

"The faster we get the information of what happened, the sooner we can plan our next actions."

"Spoken like a true general, I see." Sasuke didn't miss the slight proud tone in her words. "Always wanting to know what is going on. Unfortunately, she hasn't said anything yet."

Soft shuffling came from the bed chamber. Tsunade's body turned instantly and she ducked under the curtains. All the curtains were pulled in front of the windows on the other side, leaving the room almost completely dark.

Naruto had leaned on his seat to look inside the curtains waiting to see the girl.

Sasuke stood still on the marble floor waiting.

"Are you sure?" Tsunade whispered, but received nothing answered.

Sasuke's brows furrowed as more shuffling came from behind the curtains. It took a few minutes until Tsunade's shadow carefully lead another towards the lounge.

Naruto had sat straighter on the lounge as the girl came with Tsunade. She looked exactly like Sasuke remembered her from this morning. Her fair skin and unique pastel pink hair, but what surprised him this time were her eyes. Emerald green eyes watched carefully the two men in the room.

Under the massive cloak, she had on, the girl had looked much bigger and bulkier when in reality she was a petite girl about the height of Shizune. Compared to Tsunade, who had curves and a massive cleavage, the girl actually looked like one would imagine elves to be like. She was wrapped tightly under a silk dressing gown that was tightly tied around her waist.

"Whoa! You really look like an elf!" Naruto suddenly blurted out and Tsunade looked horrified.

"You little-" she started spitting and pointing at Naruto, but the girl caught her off.

"It is okay." Everyone's eyes landed right away on her.

Sasuke couldn't help but to think that her soft voice really suited her fairy like appearance.

"I know that we do not mingle among each other much, and seeing and elf for the first time can be quite a shock." She explained softly with a gentle smile directed at Naruto. For a moment, Naruto looked completely caught off-guard before he sprang from the lounge and bowed deeply.

His face was red as a tomato, "I-I apologize for my rudeness."

The girl had already forgotten the incident as he eyes shifted to Sasuke, "You must be Prince Sasuke the general of His Highness' knights? Youngest son of Uchiha Fugaku, the King of the Land of Fire?" She questioned him with a slightly raised brow.

Sasuke's answer was a soft nod.

"You know quite a lot for someone who hasn't been in contact with the outside world." Tsunade commented from the side. The older woman looked quite startled with the knowledge the girl has.

"We elves like to keep to ourselves most of the time. You humans tend to have habits that we do not approve of." She answered truthfully.

"Who are you exactly then?" Sasuke finally asked the question everyone wanted to know.

Her chin lifted a little as she faced the prince head on, "I am the Princess of Archyl, the Land of Waterfall."

"What do your people call you?" Tsunade questioned the girl. It was common knowledge that the elves didn't have last names. They mostly called themselves daughters or sons of their parents.

"Sakura."

"That really suits you!" Naruto exclaimed happily. "I've never seen a girl as pretty as you are!"

Tsunade's face once again looked livid. Naruto didn't seem to have any manners when it came to other people no matter how much you scolded him. He always blurted out something that would inevitably change people's attitudes towards him.

"I am not a girl." Sakura's answer was a stern one. "By your society's standards I would be a woman ready to be wedded."

Naruto's wide smile stopped the second her words left her mouth, "Then how old are you exactly?"

This time Sakura smiled sweetly at him, "That is for you to find out."

Naruto pouted and crossed his arms. He seemed to be really in thought as he scrutinized the elf.

"Are you twenty? Twenty-one?" Naruto started guessing, but Sakura shook her head.

"Why are women so insecure about their age? I'm thirty and I don't have a problem admitting it! And even everybody knows that Madam Tsunade is seventy-years-old!" Naruto explained with seriousness that wasn't expected from him. Unfortunately, his words didn't have a very good answer from Tsunade who took threatening steps towards the blond.

"Next time you open your mouth, I would be very careful about what I say." Tsunade hissed at him and Naruto took a step back with his arms in the air.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

"Why were the men after you?" Sasuke asked the princess, who was watching the exchange of words in front of her.

"They were not _men_." Sakura's words made the two blonds stop their bickering.

Sasuke's brows furrowed in question, "What do you mean?"

"I do not know, but they were not ordinary men, nor were they elves. All I know is that they attacked my home, and I had to flee to get your help."

* * *

 _Thanks for reading chapter 2! And I really hope you guys are enjoying this story so far._

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 _Next chapter will be posted in another week or two. I'm not sure if I can get Fated Encounter updated before that. But if I can do it in the next few days then chapter 3 will be up next weekend._

 _\- Jakura_


	4. Chapter 3

**The Dark Ages**

 ** _Chapter 3_**

* * *

Sasuke had sat down with Naruto and Tsunade on the lounges after Sakura started to sway dangerously. Tsunade had ushered the woman to sit down on one of the soft pillows on a couch while making sure she was fine.

According to Tsunade, the princess had lost quite a lot of blood from her shoulder wound. And since she traveled such a long distance on one go, her body was already very much exhausted.

The sun had almost set completely and it shone red hues into the bedchamber.

Shizune had to busted into the room the moment the princess had started to look unsteady and she was horrified. Instantly, she scolded the two men in the room of invading such a delicate place that was meant for the elf's recovery.

Sasuke had only regarded her with mild interest as she raved on and on about manners and etiquette. Women were always so emotional.

"I would like to have a meeting with the king." The princess voiced as she sipped on the water cup given to her by Shizune.

"The king is a busy man, right now. The threat that you brought here with you looms over all of our heads and means more work for all of us." Sasuke said, explaining honestly.

"The threat would have eventually arrived here had not I reach this place. I might only have accelerated the up-coming event."

"You sent men to scout Archyl, am I correct?" Sakura asked with a small tilt of her head. Her long blossom colored hair fell over her shoulder in waves catching Sasuke's attention. The way the hair moved seemed magical.

"Yes," Sasuke averted his eyes, "we have men scouting the nearby forests here and one man should have already arrived at Archyl. He should be returning before the morning arrives."

"I am very much interested to hear what is left of my home."

"Was it actually that big of an attack?" Naruto inquired as he propped his leg over his shin.

"You doubt my words, soldier?" Sakura fired back instantly making Naruto flush.

Naruto had his armor on from training before and no one had ever calling him a soldier. People usually laughed at him for being the goofy-kind-of-guy, but no woman had ever called him soldier that seriously.

"N-No! Of course, not!"

"You are not very good with your words, I presume?" Sakura lifted her delicate eyebrow.

"Naruto has never been good at anything but getting in trouble." Tsunade grumbled from her side of the long lounge.

"Hey! I'm very good at fighting!" Naruto pointed annoyed at Tsunade and turned to Sasuke, "Right?"

Sasuke merely shook his head causing Naruto to pout his lips.

"I know I'm good at fighting. No matter what anyone else says!"

"Fine! Fine!" Tsunade waved her arm. "We get it."

"I take it that you do not have any manners either?" Sakura asked once again from Naruto causing him to flush ever redder. "Are you from a poor heritage or do they not teach etiquette here at all?"

"It's something all children born to higher status have to go through. Lord Naruto only wants to be friends with everybody and everything." Shizune explained as she filled the princesses cup with water once again.

"Lord?" Sakura looked at him with questioning eyes.

"I'm the son of Uzumaki Minato, the Duke of the Land of Fire." Naruto stated proudly his whole posture changing as he sat up straighter and lifted his chin.

"I must confess that I am not familiar with your father, Lord Naruto." The princess said with soft and apologetic tone.

Naruto seemed so proud of what his father represented and had done that Sakura couldn't help but feel slightly bad for the man. The way Naruto's eyes shone with pride and happiness as he mentioned his father was heart-warming, and that only caused a bigger of an impact on Sakura as his face fell with her words.

"Y-you're not? But he literally saved everyone!" Naruto said baffled.

This time Sasuke looked at Naruto with calm eyes, "Remember that the elves live separately from our culture. Princess, such as princess Sakura, wouldn't know of your father's deeds, Naruto."

"Don't they teach you anything there?" Naruto asked boldly from the princess causing Tsunade to send daggers his way.

"They do," Sakura replied with easy, "but things and events that do not affect us are irrelevant. Not to forget that I am much younger than you and teachings have changed in the passing years."

Realization seemed to have dawned on Naruto as he nodded his head absentmindedly before his eyes sought out the princess, "I'm really sorry for my rudeness. It's just weird to talk with someone who doesn't know of my father's achievements. That's usually the first thing people direct their attention to and want to talk about it."

"I am glad to be the first person then." Sakura joked easily and finally Naruto cracked a proper happy smile.

"Would you like to have something to eat, My Lady?" Shizune finally asked as she settled the crystal water jug down on the side table. "I'm sure the chefs could prepare something to eat."

"That would actually be a good idea." Tsunade mused and stood up, "Are you able to walk a little, Princess? We should leave for the dining room. We could even ask the queen to join us."

Sasuke stood up with Naruto, "Mother already had her dinner, but she would be more than pleased to meet the Princess of Archyl."

* * *

"I have to apologize in advance, but I have never met anyone so unique looking." The queen cooed from across the table at the blossom haired woman.

"I am not quite sure if that is a compliment or-" Sakura said with uncertainty, but was cut off by the queen.

"No!" Queen Mikoto looked horrified, "It is most definitely a compliment! I have never seen anyone with such unique beauty!"

The queen was more than elated with the idea of having a small dinner with the princess. The palace had already had its dinner, but when the queen has rushed into the giant kitchen in the basement floor. She had almost run inside with her dark deep blue dress flowing behind her. The chefs were ready to close down the kitchen for the night, but soon got back to work after their queen's requests.

Mikoto was in her best element sitting with a small group of people in the dining room. The elf princess was sitting across from her with Shizune next to her and Tsunade sitting next to the queen.

"As I said," Mikoto continued, "I apologize for being so direct with my opinions."

"Sometimes that is a good trait to have." Sakura mused and took a bite of the beef she had on her plate.

She wasn't that hungry for food, but it was nice to have something to give her more energy.

After hearing the idea of a small nightly meal, queen Mikoto had send some clothes for the princess to try on. Sakura was surprised by the hospitality of the queen and accepted the gifts send to her in such a small notice.

The clothes were what she was used to wearing in the Land of the Waterfall, Archyl, since the elf people had much different taste for clothing. The people in the Land of Fire were more into tight clothes that revealed your best assets, especially in a woman. Tight waists and large hems seemed to be to everyone's liking.

In Sakura's country, the elves preferred flowing fabrics that cascaded softly and beautifully. And where the humans used all kinds of colors, the elf people enjoyed light pastels and colors that represented light.

And as Sakura sat in the dinner table, in the huge and beautifully massive dining hall, she couldn't help but feel tad bit uncomfortable. The dark red dress looked magnificent on her with its long sleeves and shoulders revealing opening. But it just wasn't as free as her normal clothing.

But as a quest in Konohagakure, she really didn't have a choice. She needed these people's help to hopefully save her own people.

"Especially when it comes to politics." Mikoto said with humor and raised her glass.

Tsunade was on his fifth glass of wine and seemed everything but interested in the conversation the women were having around her. Shizune on the other hand was more than interested as she laughed and joked with the two other women.

Suddenly Mikoto's face straightened in the mist of talking about the differences of the two worlds of the elves and humans.

"Is everything alright, Your Highness?" Shizune asked soft.

Mikoto's eyes were on the princess sitting opposite of her. The sun had already set long time ago and the room was illuminated by only candles.

"I am so sorry." The older woman said suddenly and caught the princess of guard. "Here I am talking about most average things in the whole worlds while your world is being torn apart by a war."

Sakura lowered her gaze to her lap. She had to admit to herself that for a while she had completely forgotten about the battle raging in her home. It was such a relief to be apart from the events she had experienced less than a day ago. However, none of that changed the fact that her people needed help.

Yes, she was injured and unable to properly fight back, but she needed to have a meeting with the king about what actions he could take to help her people. Also, she had no idea who had attacked her home because she was sent away from the as soon as the battle started and the attackers came. All she knew was that those men weren't ordinary humans.

There was something much more sinister in them.

"It is fine. Considering the events, I had to endure this morning, a small break from those thoughts was refreshing."

Mikoto smiled softly at her, "I will talk with my husband today and I'm sure I'll be able to arrange for you to meet with him tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Sakura lowered her head in respect.

"But please, have some more pudding. You need to eat." The queen ushered the princess and motioned for the two maids standing by the door to get some more food. "To heal, the body needs all the nutrients it can get."

"Yes, in fact it does." Tsunade smiled from behind her wine glass. "But I'm also sure that the king won't do anything until the spy or scout has come back from Archyl."

"I just hope it is not too late to do anything for the village." Sakura murmured.

"I'm sure everything will be back to normal soon." Mikoto reassured the princess. "Everything will be fixed and I can promise you that we will help your village as much as possible."

* * *

 _Thank you for reading! What did you think about this super short chapter?_

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 _Leave a review! I'm really happy to know what you guys think about this story._

 _\- Jakura_


	5. Chapter 4

**The Dark Ages**

 ** _Chapter 4_**

* * *

"I must say I'm very much surprised to see an actual elf on my lands." King Fugaku commented with a slight amused undertone. "It's not every day one of you walks in our lands and makes such an appearance."

"I apologize for the inconvenience my appearance have caused your kingdom, My Lord." The princess replied calmly.

They were sitting in the king's office, up in the higher levels of the castle. There weren't many people in the spacious room along with the king and princess. Only two guards staying silent and still by the double doors leading out of the office.

Sakura was earlier lead to sit on one of the chairs in front of the huge wooden desk as she was said to wait for the king. So far before this moment she hadn't even had a peek of what the king looked like, but the moment she saw him she couldn't help but wonder did the younger prince get his looks from his mother. The prince looked so much more feminine and handsome compared to this rougher looking male in front of her.

The queen certainly was a sight to see and definitely Prince Sasuke got his looks from his mother. It was truly fascinating to think how two people can create something so similar.

"There is no trouble, young one. If someone decided to attack the elves, then I'm sure that they will attack here, too eventually. It is only fair for everyone that you came here and we've been able to inform the other kingdoms." The king explained and showed a stack of papers on his desk.

"You have already contacted the others, My Lord? I was in understanding that you would rather wait until your scout returns." Sakura asked in surprise.

"Yes, of course I have. And my scout arrive couple of hours ago from Archyl."

"They did?!" This time Sakura sat closer to the edge of her comfortable seat. "I have to know what they saw. Please."

The king waved his fingers at one of the guards standing by the door. Sakura turned around to see the guard peeking behind the office and talking quietly to someone. When she arrived, no one was behind the door except two guards wearing the same outfit that the guards inside the office wore.

Another man finally walked in behind the guard, who took his place on the other side of the doors, as the new-comer walked towards the king. The man was rather pale and thin with average high-class looking clothes.

His head was lowered with respect as he bowed towards the princess and the king.

"Your Highness, My Lady."

"I would like you to meet, Yamanaka Sai. One of my best spies and scouts in the whole world." The king introduced Sai and pointed his hand for the man to take a seat. "He was the one whom was sent to Archyl and he just returned few hours ago."

Sai had a pleasant smile on his face, or at least it seemed to be. However, Sakura got a feeling that there was something far more dark behind it.

Sai turned to face the princess, "Unfortunately, didn't venture too far into your village. The area was swarmed with armed men and it would have been too much of a risk not to return immediately back to Konoha. While there, I didn't see any elves that were alive or even in groups kept captive." The man explained as if it wasn't the most horrible thing in the world.

"Who were the men?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"So far we have no idea." It was the king who answered as he pulled a piece of cloth from his table. "The insignia is very much unfamiliar to everyone."

It was a battered fabric with a red cloud against a black background.

"Have you seen anything like this before?" The king asked with a lifted brow.

"No, I haven't." Sakura said honestly as she reached for the fabric.

"Not even when you ran away?" He asked again.

Sakura's attention diverted back to the king with a stern expression, "I was woken up by my father from a very deep sleep. I barely even remember the way from my bed chamber to the stalls. My father lead the way for the entire time while a hand-maiden pulled the cloak over my head."

A silence filled the room after Sakura's explanation.

"The last thing I heard my father say to me was that 'They are attacking, you need to get to Konoha'. And, then at one point, I realized that those men were following me."

"You didn't see anyone else then around Archyl?"

"I did not." Sakura pressed. "I have never seen those men before, but I do know that they are not ordinary men."

"And how do you know that?" Fugaku asked and tilted his head.

"I am an elf. We have talents and abilities no human possess and you, My Lord, should be very well aware of that." Sakura was starting to feel frustrated with the king's questions. For her, it seemed like he wasn't believing what she was telling him.

"Are you doubting me?" Sakura asked finally.

Sai was sitting completely silent in his seat staring at the wall with disinterest. He didn't seem to care about the conversation going on around him.

Fugaku, however, seemed more than amused.

"I am a king. I have my responsibilities and duties for my kingdom. I need to protect everything I have with my own life. I am the one responsible for everything that befalls on my lands." The king explained with softness in his voice that surprised the princess. "If I am being honest, and that is what I am, you might very well be a threat.

"I am also very well aware of the elves never having any trouble with us, but as a princess yourself you should be aware of the pressure that protect your own people comes with. It's not easy at all because you never know what might happen in the future."

"I understand very well." And she really did. She might not look threatening, but humans and elves haven't been in any kind of contact for many years. This was a first time that someone like Sakura walked on their lands so freely and was even in the castle. She could very well be a threat.

"But still I highly doubt you're going to assassinate me and try to take over the throne." The king joked and Sakura's lips raised into a smile. "I also promise you that your people will have our help. I will make sure that this situation will be fixed and I'm also sure that some of the other villages agree with me."

"I still must ark, My Lord, but have you contacted Nichral?" Sakura asked with interest.

"Yes, I send another patrol that way. It's much safer that way since we don't know if the enemy has already infiltrated their lands, too."

"Goddess bless you, My Lord. You are a true blessing for me right now."

* * *

"I wish to return back to my own land." Sakura said as she sat down on the lounge in her chamber.

"But didn't the king say that Archyl is swarmed with enemies. If they chased you all the way here, they would most definitely come after you again if you show up in there. It's just too dangerous." Tsunade said and sat down opposite the princess.

"My father is there, my people are there, and they are in danger. I am here in safety with food and warmth. My people are suffering!" Sakura explained as she pointed at the tea arrey in front of her.

"It is not proper and not fare for any of my people." She continued hastily.

"But can you do anything for it alone?" Tsunade asked and dipped a cookie into her tea before eating it. "This needs more alcohol." She then muttered to herself.

"Well, no-"

"Exactly!" Tsunade pointed her finger at the princess. "Let's just wait and see. Besides it's better to wait for new from Nichral. If this place seems too foreign for Your Highness than maybe you could relocate there."

"It is a possibility." Sakura muttered and grabbed a cookie.

"Just eat your food and be happy that at least you're safe. I'm sure that is what your father wanted when she made you flee the village." The older woman muttered to herself as she waves her hand for a maid to bring some alcohol.

"Alcohol is very dangerous." The princess suddenly commented and received a devious grin from Tsunade, "And so is living."

"Tsunade likes to live on the edge." A man's voice commented by the door.

"Kakashi! Come in! Come in!"

* * *

 _This is short one. Actually, it's unusually short for me, but I wanted the Kakashi scene to be in the next chapter._

 _Hopefully you guys enjoyed this! If you're interested in my writing process or think that I have completely disappeared go check my profile at least once a week. I usually post there my writing progress and if something's going to stop me from posting my chapters on time._

 _Thanks for reviewers:_

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 _\- Jakura_


	6. Chapter 5

**The Dark Ages**

 ** _Chapter 5_**

* * *

"I'm sorry to say this, but you look bad, My Lord." Kiba chuckled as he swung his sword in the prince's direction with such force that his opponent stumbled back a bit, "But that doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you."

"I don't want you to go easy on me." The prince groaned back and put more of his weight in front of him slowly staring to overpower Kiba.

"You sure about that?" Kiba teased even more as sweat started to fall down his forehead. They had been sparring for an hour now and both refused to stop until the other one gave up first.

"Absolutely." Sasuke gritted and suddenly moved to the side causing Kiba to go along with his momentum straight towards the ground. His sword thumbed to the ground and Kiba groaned as he hit his chin on the stone floor.

"Always falling to the easiest of tricks. Maybe you should train some more Kiba!" Came Naruto laughing voice as he clapped his hands together.

Sasuke offered his arm to the beaten Kiba and helped him up.

"I'll win one day." Kiba muttered with a breathless laugh. "But seriously, what's wrong?"

Naruto had joined the two of them in the middle of the training room. Few other knights were training near the walls with wooden practice dummies.

"Nothing." Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and got a squinting look from Naruto, "I don't buy that."

"You don't have to. I said I'm fine." He snapped and headed for the towels on a long wooden bench.

"Seriously." Naruto muttered from behind him. "Did you sleep badly? Because that's usually the only reason why you're being this moody for a whole day."

Sasuke didn't answer and opted to ignore his friends.

"Silence means yes." Kiba added and snickered with Naruto. For a second, Sasuke stopped mid-air of lifting his towel while furrowing his brows in thought. He had no idea what those two were up to.

"Was she good?" The brunette suddenly asked and Naruto started laughing with him.

A wave of dread washed over him and Sasuke turned around with a glare, "There's no woman."

"Well, what other could have gotten your panties in a twist. Women are annoying and frustrating at times, but they do give us one heck of a time in bed. Was it the blond maid that cleans your room every Tuesday and Thursday, or was it the brunette with the dimples?"

A group of men descended to the training are laughing boldly and Sasuke shot a glare in his friends' way. The group was completely oblivious to the three higher ups in the room and Sasuke decided that it was a good time to bail the room as quickly as possible. Leaving the room was the best choice since soon everyone where gossiping for no reason at all.

"Wait up!" Naruto shouted as Sasuke quickly grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head while at the same time almost running up the stairs. Kiba and Naruto were still close behind him with their loud steps echoing in the hallway made out of huge rocks.

The wide set of steps stopped and a pair of wooden double doors stood in front of him. Sasuke quickly slipped through the door without even making sure that the heavy door doesn't slam into his friends.

However, Sasuke's escape didn't go as he had planned. The moment he stepped through the door was the moment he wished he had stayed at the training facility. His legs had stopped moving and he was completely frozen in place when Naruto and Kiba finally barreled through the door.

Naruto almost collided with the prince because of the unexpected way the dark-haired man had stopped.

"What the-" the blond muttered under his breath, but soon his attention was on the group of women standing in the garden.

The Queen was in the middle of the group explaining something with calm posture and sophisticated movements of her hands. And around her were a group of younger women and among them was the one who shone from the rest of them: Princess Sakura.

She looked almost misplaced with her much slender body and unique coloring that the elves were known for. The more natural tones of everyone around her looked pale and dull compared to her.

Even her clothing seemed to resemble more of her own culture day by day. She had ditched all the over-layered dresses and opted for more comfortable ones at first. After that change came to more revealing clothing and pastel tones.

Many people around the castle thought of the clothes almost outrageous as they shower her shoulders and even sometimes her whole back. But no one dared to voice anything too loud. They knew she was of different ways than anyone else in the whole country. And to her aid came the Royal Seamstress, who had done a lot of research on the types of clothes the elves wore.

Konan was known for her talent at creating the most beautiful gowns in the whole land, and she easily befriended the princess, who seemed too uncomfortable in the dresses given to her by the Queen.

Even Sasuke could see the way her face crunched up in annoyance when no one was looking as she glanced down at her burgundy colored gown a week ago. She did her best to hide the distaste in her demeanor, but Sakura was more of an open book than anything else, at least to Sasuke.

"I would bang that if I had a chance." Kiba muttered from next to Sasuke.

The prince glanced over his shoulder with a glare and quickly the other man apologized.

Kiba was head-over-heels in love with the princess. She was truly a blast of fresh air and all in all a beautiful woman. Many men drooled after her and her more revealing clothes didn't help with that case at all.

Sasuke shook his head and bee-lined for the closest hallway.

"Sasuke!" Naruto's shocked voice yelled after him and he could easily feel how he attention of everyone in the garden had turned to him. Luckily, he turned around the corner and got away from everyone's peering eyes.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled again this time much closer to the said person.

* * *

 _It's a short one, but I still posted something and I'm happy about it. Not a best chapter and I'm a bit disappointed that Kakashi couldn't make it into this one yet. But let's hope he is in the next one._

 _Thanks for reviewers:_

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 _\- Jakura_


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